Ikigai
by TheLadyIntegra
Summary: "You claimed you were not afraid of me. Clearly you lied." After the defeat of Aizen, Orihime awakens in unfamiliar surroundings only to come face to face with a man she had seen die only hours before. Now at the mercy of an Espada without a purpose, Orihime will have to learn to be brave while knowing that no one is coming to save her this time. Guest starring Grimmjow.
1. Scaredy Cat

**Note**: Ikigai, in the Japanese culture, is considered the reason for one's being and discovering it brings satisfaction and meaning to life. Everyone is believed to have an Ikigai, though sometimes finding it can be a long and difficult journey.

None of these characters, in my opinion, have found their Ikigai. This is their story.

Please enjoy.

**Chapter One: Scaredy Cat  
**

* * *

Orihime awoke slowly and groaned at the harsh pounding in the back of her head. Her eyes fluttered open, fixating on the unfamiliar, sagging wooden ceiling above her as her blurry vision cleared. She lay on a shabby pile of blankets that smelled of mould and did little to cushion her from the hard, dusty floor.

As awareness of her surroundings sank in, she shot up, immediately regretting it as one again her head screamed at her. A trembling hand found the back of her skull and gently probed the large, painful lump that had made itself at home. She glanced around in confusion at the dingy room, furnished with a rusty fireplace, currently lit with a strange green flame, and a few odd bits of furniture. She had no idea where she was.

She felt her stomach sink into a small pit of dread when she noticed she was still wearing her ripped and torn Arrancar uniform, stained with blood. The last thing she remembered clearly was embracing Ishida-kun in joy as they realized that Aizen had been defeated, and Kurosaki-kun and most everyone else had survived. After that, there were hazy impressions of panic and an attempt to flee...something.

And then a sudden pain and darkness.

A thump and what sounded like a curse of anger sounded nearby, and her grey eyes shot to the slightly parted wooden door to her left, near the fireplace. She drew back in fear, and instinctively moved to touch her hairpins, needing to feel their comforting presence.

Her terror intensified as she realized that they were gone, and she was powerless. Another look around told her that other than the tiny, shuttered window, which would be too small for her to squeeze through, there was no way out other than through that door. She heard the low murmur of voices and footsteps, and felt a vaguely familiar spiritual presence that she couldn't quite place with her hairpins out of her grip.

Intense curiosity battled with fear until finally she called out in a tremulous voice.

"Um, hello?"

The murmuring stopped, and she clamoured hastily to her feet when she heard the footsteps approaching her position. Suddenly feeling desperate for any sort of weapon, she reached out and grabbed one of the warped metal pans hanging from a hook on the wall. She held it over a shoulder and stood poised, ready to strike with all her might if necessary.

The person who entered the room took one look at her and his ever present frown deepened. "What do you think you're doing, onna?"

The pan fell from her hands and clattered loudly to the floor. With a gasp Orihime staggered backwards, tripping on the edge of the blankets and flailing onto her buttocks, gaping in shock at the man before her. "Ulquiorra-san!" she whispered, stunned, "I don't understand, I saw you..."

"Die," the Espada finished for her tonelessly. "It seems you did not see what you thought you saw. I am very much alive."

"Where are we? How did I get here?" She made a grab for the pan and shook it at him in as menacing a manner as she could muster. "What did you do with my hairpins?"

If Ulquiorra's expressionless face were capable of showing anything at all, it might have flickered with displeasure as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. One pale hand left its usual position in his pocket and made a quick, whip-like motion. The pan shot forcefully from her hand and smashed against the adjacent wall, eliciting a small squeak of fright. "Quiet," he said lowly, taking a few steps forward.

Orihime's eyes shot wide open in fear and she leant back as far away as she could, eyeing the Espada's movements nervously. Perhaps threatening Ulquiorra wasn't her smartest move. Aizen was no longer around to prevent him from doing his worst, and with a flicker of dread she remembered the ringing slap she had given him what seemed like a century ago, but was likely only a few days before. Had he kidnapped her again to get vengeance? She had thought they parted on at least amicable terms when she reached out to his slowly dissolving form. His slender hand had blown away before she could reach him though...

When the same hand lowered, palm up, in front of her face, she glanced into his eyes in confusion. His cold green gaze was a far cry from the understanding one he'd worn in his final moments, but still not quite hostile. Hesitantly, she placed her scratched, dirty hand into his impeccably smooth one, surprised to find that he was not as icy cold as expected, but rather carrying a sort of dull warmth. His hand felt alive, and as he gripped her firmly and pulled her to her feet, she pondered the symbolism of their touch. So this is what it would have felt like if she had been able to grasp him back then.

For a moment they were almost nose to nose and she flushed at the proximity before Ulquiorra took a smooth step back and released her hand, returning his own to his pocket. His gaze never wavered from her face and the force of their stare down only intensified her nerves.

"You claimed you were not afraid of me. Clearly you lied."

Orihime flinched at the cold statement before narrowing her eyes at him boldly. "I wasn't lying. I'm not...scared of you." In a weird way, she sort of wasn't. He was dangerous, but he was also Ulquiorra. She was fairly certain he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. For now at least. She still didn't know what he wanted. "I'm just...confused. I don't know what's going on."

"No doubt if Kurosaki Ichigo were present, you would be less 'confused'."

He didn't believe her. Was blatantly telling her that she was a scaredy-cat without Kurosaki-kun around. She squared her shoulders, raised her chin up at him. She had faced Ulquiorra bravely before, even when Kurosaki-kun wasn't around. Although...he had been rushing to her rescue and she had no idea where he was now. Or where she was. Or what Ulquiorra wanted from her.

But it didn't matter - she didn't need Kurosaki-kun's protection to stand up for herself! He seemed to sense her belligerence, and closed his eyes, turning away. She knew that look. It was the Ulquiorra version of a scoff, a callous dismissal.

"Come," he ordered, turning to leave the room. Orihime hesitated for a moment before trailing after him, peering around his shoulder as they entered a small corridor. At the end to her right was a door that she suspected led outside, and to her left were two more doorways. Ulquiorra crossed into the first one, and Orihime followed, now devastatingly curious. The wooden floorboards creaked loudly beneath her as she crossed the threshold into the new room. It was much the same as the other, except slightly smaller and furnished with a privy and a large wooden tub with, to her surprise, metal faucets that seemed to hold running water.

Most surprising, however, was the blue haired man bleeding all over the floor.

"Grimmjow-san!" Orihime exclaimed, and immediately an icy pair of blue eyes snapped open and glared at her. The sexta Espada grit his teeth before releasing a bitter bark of laughter.

"So you got yourself the women too, Ulquiorra. You bastard..." His head turned and he coughed up a sizable amount of blood. "A fucking shame for her then."

"Silence, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said firmly, "You waste what remains of your energy." His eyes slid over to Orihime and once again his hand raised from his pocket. He showed her the two blue hairpins he held delicately in the palm of his hand.

"You took them!" She cried, resisting the urge to grab them out of the Espada's grasp.

"Yes. You will heal Grimmjow and then return them to me."

He didn't give her a chance to respond, his wicked-quick hand easily sliding her hairpins into their standard position, his dexterity allowing them to slide into place smoothly without scraping against her scalp. She barely had a chance to blink and his hand had already returned to his pocket.

"Heal only the life-threatening injury. There is no need to exert yourself further than that."

Staring at the pale Espada in surprise for only a moment, Orihime obediently knelt at Grimmjow's side, calling forth her fairies and grimacing as the deep wound in the Espada's shoulder knit itself together. Grimmjow watched her silently through the golden shield.

"I find it unlikely that the boy would have had it in him to do this amount of damage," Ulquiorra commented, keeping a careful eye on Grimmjow. The blue haired Espada scowled and turned away, but Orihime didn't miss the flicker of bitterness - no, of shame - that flashed over his face. Quietly, she answered Ulquiorra's obvious inquiry.

"It was Nnoitora. He got in a cheap shot." Orihime shuddered at the memory of the gangly Espada's fingers, forcing their way into her mouth. Grimmjow's look of shock and pain as Nniotora's blade sunk into his shoulder would forever be emblazoned in her mind as one of the more terrible things she had witnessed in Hueco Mundo.

Grimmjow obviously noticed her expression of sorrow, because he scowled up at her, his fists clenching. "Don't you dare pity me bitch, I'll snap your neck."

Orihime flinched back, but Ulquiorra reacted quickly, his heel coming to rest firmly on Grimmjow's throat. "I think not, Grimmjow. You will not lay a hand on her."

"Or what?" the blue haired man spat hatefully.

Ulquiorra increased the pressure on Grimmjow's throat and said simply, "Or I will kill you." He turned his attention back to Orihime, who was watching the display nervously. It was somewhat comforting that Ulquiorra would stop Grimmjow from hurting her, but that still didn't tell her what he wanted from her. And she disliked the threats of violence.

"That's enough, onna," Ulquiorra commanded. Orihime shook her head.

"No - I can still heal him more, I'm not tired or anything."

Ulquiorra released Grimmjow and rounded her shield, coming to stand over her at her side. "That is irrelevant. Grimmjow will become a nuisance if he is at full strength."

When she ignored him and stared firmly ahead, his hand dropped onto her shoulder, heavy and threatening. "I said to stop, onna."

Realizing that she had little choice, Orihime reluctantly dropped the shield and immediately pulled away. Ulquiorra's hand slid off her shoulder as she move back and rose to her feet. Grimmjow sat up as well, still severely weakened and covered in injuries but no longer at risk of dying. He glared up at Ulquiorra.

"Afraid I'll destroy you if I'm at full strength?" He spat at the pale Espada's feet. "Coward."

Ulquiorra pointedly ignored him, narrowing his eyes at Orihime. "Hand them over now."

She knew exactly what he was referring to, and her hands immediately went to the sides of her head, protectively shielding her hairpins, "N-no! I won't give them to you."

Ulquiorra took a menacing step forward. "You will."

She shook her head frantically, knowing she looked ridiculous. "Why do you need them - I can't hurt you with them!"

"I will not make the mistake of underestimating you." He held his hand out expectantly, curling his fingers. "Give them to me now, or I will take them by force."

The room was silent for a long moment, the atmosphere thick with tension. Orihime's eyes darted around frantically, knowing that she had no chance of making it to the door unless she blocked the others with her shield. But that wouldn't hold Ulquiorra for long, and she wouldn't be able to run fast enough. She should fight back as a matter of pride, but what would that accomplish? It might satisfy her ego to know that she hadn't given up meekly like she always did, but she had no idea what kind of damage Ulquiorra might do if she made the mistake of angering him.

He stood patiently, even Grimmjow watched her silently, waiting for her next move. To give up her only form of defence, her beloved fairies to an Espada...But what choice did she have?

Slowly, she pulled the shimmering blue pins away, and as if in some last desperate attempt at defiance they snagged at her hair before she clutched them to her chest protectively. "Please, don't - hurt them."

Ulquiorra was silent, and but for a twitch of his lips unresponsive, and she realized that there was really nothing more she could do. Steeling her resolve not to cry, she deposited her source of power into his hands, holding her breath as his fingers gently curled over the fragile bits of metal before he placed his hand once again in his pocket.

Grimmjow chose this moment to interrupt the tense exchange. "So now you're scared of little girls too. When did you become so pathetic, Ulquiorra?"

He yelled in protest when Ulquiorra suddenly gripped his upper arm and hauled him roughly to his feet. Grimmjow staggered, face contorted in pain, and glared at the more powerful Espada hatefully. Ulquiorra began dragging him from the room, unaffected by his curses or his struggling. As he passed Orihime, he met her gaze. "Bathe, onna. I will arrange fresh clothing."

Orihime stuttered and waved her hands, "Uh - no thank you, that's really not necessary! I'm fine, really." She had no desire to get naked just then.

Ulquiorra's nose wrinkled ever so slightly. "You carry the stench of blood. It is unpleasant. Bathe."

Once again she realized she had little say in the matter, lest Ulquiorra threaten to strip her down and do it for her. She nodded and swallowed thickly. "O-okay. I will."

Ulquiorra left the room, still supporting the staggering Grimmjow. She watched him leave and shut the door after him, leaning her forehead against the door and releasing a shuddering breath.

She still had no idea where she was or what the Espada wanted.

Exhaling, she began to undress.

* * *

It's been so long since I've written Ulquiorra, I hope I did him justice. I want to avoid the trap of screwing up his base personality, while at the same time do my best to humanize him or just...make him, and his presence, feel 'real'. Some questions will be answered in the upcoming chapters, including Ulquiorra's mysterious re-appearance. Please leave a review :)


	2. The Worst Kidnapper Ever

A/N: I've always despised it when anime fanfics insert a bunch of easily translatable Japanese words into their stories; 'nakama' and 'baka' being two of the biggest offenders I've seen so far. That being said, I watched the anime in Japanese and cringe at the mere mention of dub.

So I've grown accustomed to the way the characters refer to each other and having Orihime call Ichigo anything other than 'Kurosaki-kun' makes my brain hurt. The same goes for Rukia with 'Nii-sama'. That loosely translates to 'Lord Brother' or 'honourable brother', and I don't like the sound of that either. There are just some parts if the language that aren't as easy to translate - it's an entirely different culture after all.

So I've decided to make an exception for honorific's (-san, -chan, -kun,- sama, -dono etc) and titles (like 'taichou' - it easily translates to 'captain', so there's no excuse there really, I just like the sound of it better.) And lastly, Ulquiorra will be addressing Orihime as 'onna'. I dunno, it sounds slightly better than 'woman'. I'm fine either way really... I'm not trying to flaunt the awesome Japanese skills I learned from watching a butt-load of anime, but I have been somewhat... conditioned. So if seeing this sort of thing annoys you, bear in mind that I _totally_ get it. But a writer's gotta do what a writer's gotta do.

**Chapter 2: The Worst Kidnapper Ever  
**

* * *

"I'm coming in."

"Ah! No - wait!" Orihime's protests came too late as the door pushed open and Ulquiorra moved in, gaze flickering towards her as she submerged herself in the water with a loud, messy splash. She gaped at him over the rim, thankful for how deep the tub was but instinctively wrapping her arms around her naked chest.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-san!" she exclaimed, earning a prolonged glance as the Espada set a bundle of grey and brown cloth on the toilet seat, "You can't just...just walk in like that! I could have been..." She blushed, trailing off uncertainly and averted her eyes. "You know..." she mumbled.

Ulquiorra straightened up, fixing her with a loaded stare. "I told you I would be bringing your clothes."

She heard the unspoken reprimand to stop making a scene, but refused to back down. "I know, but you can't just say _'I'm coming in'_," she lowered her voice in a fair imitation of his deep baritone, "And then not even give me time to do anything about it. Then there's no point!"

His frown had deepened after her impression of him. "Do not mock me, onna." That seemed to be all he was interested in saying on the issue before he stepped towards her. Orihime pushed herself further into the water, eyes widening. Immediately, he halted his approach, studying her carefully. Orihime was unable to stop her trembling and goosebumps erupted over her exposed neck and shoulders.

There was your normal, everyday nervousness when dealing with Ulquiorra - the kind of nervousness that only a very impressive kind of person could get away with not feeling. And then there was _this_. As if with every second he looked at her she became more and more aware of her naked flesh, half convinced that he could see it through the tub. She lowered her gaze, thoroughly intimidated, as she always was when he stared at her for so long. No one else in her life had ever looked at her like that - as if she was utterly and completely the center of attention.

God, she had never ever been naked in front of a boy before other than her Nii-chan and now for it to be _Ulquiorra_ of all people...

Once again, she had the urge to bombard him with questions - why was she there? How was he alive? What did he _want_? But it certainly wasn't the right time or place for that. To think before she'd woken up she'd been with Ishida-kun, happier than she'd been in a long time, and now she was naked in a bath tub in front of a mysteriously revived Ulquiorra.

_Ohhhh_, If he stood there for much longer looking at her like that it wouldn't matter _what_ he wanted her for, she'd die of embarrassment.

"It seems you are _confused_ again, onna."

Orihime blinked, meeting his green eyes with a puzzled frown. "Wha-?" Her bewilderment cleared as she picked up on Ulquiorra's rare use of sarcasm, referencing their earlier conversation. She swallowed thickly, doing her best to ease the undoubtedly stressed look on her face. "I'm not _afraid_. I...I'm _uncomfortable_."

She realized immediately how lame that sounded, and he obviously agreed judging by his unimpressed silence.

"Well how am I supposed to feel with you looking at me like that?" she asked more loudly than she than intended, her blush of embarrassment slowly deepening into one of anger. "Are you _trying_ to be scary on purpose?"

Orihime held his gaze defiantly, silently daring him to answer her. There was a tense moment in which she could only imagine what he was thinking as he looked at her.

And then his eyes drifted away. "...Ridiculous," he said rather vaguely, before turning on his heel and exiting without another word.

The moment the door closed behind him, Orihime slumped back into the tub and let out a loud, embarrassed groan, only realizing a second too late that Ulquiorra must have heard it.

This _was_ ridiculous. How on earth was she supposed to keep up with his weird mood swings? He'd seemed so understanding and peaceful and _sad _in his final - well, _supposedly_ final - moments. She had been undeniably saddened by his 'death'. He had been - _was still!_ - an enemy, there had been no choice but to fight him. But that hadn't made it any less tragic to see someone so obviously confused and struggling to understand human emotions pass away.

But all of _that_ had seemingly disappeared around the same time he had. There was no gentle acceptance in his cold green eyes now. Maybe there never had been and she'd imagined it? Orihime rose from the tub, wrapping herself in the towel hanging on a wooden rail on the wall. All she knew was that he'd seemingly returned to his old habit of looking at her as if she were the most infuriating puzzle in the world.

Oh, it was nothing she would have noticed if she weren't the one being subjected to it. She knew she was no warrior, and certainly had no useful skills when it came to _important _things like protecting her friends and fighting in wars. But Inoue Orihime also knew that she had an observational gift when it came to people and their behaviour. Perhaps Ulquiorra might have remained a mystery to her despite this, but certainly not now that he was targeting her for...something or other.

It was in the way his eyes pinned her in place, the subtle movements in his face as he observed her, the way he always seemed slightly restless in her presence, moving around a lot, unable to stand still. As if he just wanted to pace around her, circle her like a predator.

She felt it in the air whenever he was close to her, ever since the day she had sworn her fealty to Aizen-sama. An unnerving amount of..._intent._

It was almost funny - a mere human teenager being a source of so much frustration to a powerful, aloof guy like Ulquiorra. Almost.

Because if for whatever reason he decided that he _couldn't _solve her...

He'd probably break her.

* * *

Uryuu did not like his current predicament. Not one bit.

Gathered together in the Captain's Assembly Hall was every major participant in the war against Aizen Sousuke, some of them still covered in a fair amount of blood and dirt. The situation was serious enough to postpone healing any non-lethal injuries, and only Unohana-taichou and Hitsugaya-taichou were notably absent. Rangiku stood in her captains place, looking pale and haggard, her eyes still red and puffy, face stained with tears.

And the atmosphere was only getting more unhappy by the minute.

"Ishida Uryuu," came the gravelly old voice of Yamamoto-soutaichou, whom Uryuu stood before, "Based on the evidence at hand, it is clear that Inoue Orihime is indeed the traitor we suspected her to be."

"She is not!" he protested, taking an angered step towards the aged man, though he really should have seen this reaction coming. Around him, the assembled members of Sereitei seemed to grimace in unison, every person who had ever had any contact with Orihime immediately disliking the pronouncement. "Inoue-san was kidnapped again, it's the only explanation!"

Uryuu caught Renji and Rukia sharing a silent look, both of them clearly only remaining silent due to the stoic presence of the sixth squad captain, standing calmly between them. Uryuu grit his teeth, but shook his head slightly at the female Kuchiki, watching her settle reluctantly in place. There was no need for those two to be making a scene now, he knew they would have his back if worst came to worst.

"You have said nothing that would support that statement. By your own words, you were struck from behind and rendered unconscious. You have already said that the girl was not in your line of sight at the time."

Uryuu immediately returned his attention to the elder Shinigami, forcing himself to remain calm. He performed the familiar gesture of pushing his glasses further up his nose, taking a soft breath before answering. "I never implied that she was the one who attacked me - I only said that I didn't see what happened to her."

"But you _did_ say that you felt no threats in the area at the time of the attack," Ukitake-taichou interjected mildly.

Uryuu hesitated, nervous that even the kindly captain of the thirteenth division seemed willing to use his own words against him. "That means nothing - anyone could have masked their reiatsu and snuck up on us."

"Do you know why you would have felt no threats, boy?" Yamamoto asked.

Ishida had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer the soutaichou intended to give.

"Because there _were _no threats - none that you perceived as threats in any case. All of Aizen's Espada have already been accounted for."

"Based on whose information?" Uryuu growled.

Yamamoto conveniently ignored his question, instead firing back one of his own. "If you do indeed believe that Inoue Orihime was kidnapped once again, who do you suggest was responsible? Did any Arrancar take excessive interest in her?"

Uryuu shuddered, several faces flashing before his eyes. "There were one or two, yes. But they're all dead now."

"I see."

Uryuu scowled, clearly seeing where the old man was going. "That doesn't mean she wasn't taken by someone else. Inoue-san...there's no way she would have sided with them. They tormented her. As soon as Aizen gave word that she was no longer useful, she was attacked." He hesitated. "And...and there's no way she would have attacked me, either. Inoue-san barely defends herself, even when her life is in danger, because she hates the thought of hurting another person so much. The thought that she would have attacked me...it's ridiculous to even contemplate!"

Yamamoto was silent for a long moment, before he gave a grave sigh. "I am sympathetic to your situation, boy. It was not so long ago that we of Seireitei found ourselves with a betrayal so unlikely, it too seemed laughable."

"This is nothing like that! Inoue-san...she's a genuinely good person - all you have to do is see her smile to know that!"

"Hinamori Momo once said something very similar about Aizen, her beloved Captain. Do you know what he did to her, boy?"

Uryuu reluctantly shook his head. "He impaled her and left her for dead."

The Quincy swallowed heavily. "That's a sad story, but it means nothing. Inoue-san never tried to kill me."

Soi-Fon seemed to have reached her limit.

"Exactly!" she hissed, "Who else, ignorant child, who else in Hueco Mundo would have left you unconscious and alive? Who else would have had you at their mercy and not killed you were you lay?"

Uryuu's well of logic and reason had run dry. He felt himself grinding his teeth. "What is your motivation? Why won't you just believe that she was kidnapped?"

"Motivation?" Soi Fon glared at the young man, "Watch your tongue. The protection of Soul Society is Soutaichou's only-"

"Liar," Uryuu stated with a calm he did not truly feel. "If Inoue-san is a traitor, you and that freak show scientist of yours get to do whatever you want to her."

"Tch. Foolish Quincy," Mayuri said with a scoff, "I saved your life. Show some respect."

"As if that would make me forget..." Uryuu seethed, turning his head to glare at the golden-eyed scientist, "That you're the one who killed-"

"Ah, Quincy-san, is now really the time to be getting off topic?" It was the brown-haired captain in the pink haori that spoke up, clearly seeking to diffuse the situation. Uryuu took a deep breath. The flamboyant man had a point. Once people began speaking about who killed who...things would get a lot more messy than they needed to be.

"Tell me," he began, narrowing his eyes once more on the eldest Shinigami, "Do you intend to take advantage of Kurosaki's current state?"

Yamamoto's aged face crinkled into a frown. "Kurosaki Ichigo has done Soul Society a great service. But," and here the Captain-Commander sent him a particularly stern look, "He is no longer in any condition to be making decisions."

"And yet you know damn well what his decision would be," Uryuu responded with a humorless smile, "And you know that he has friends - powerful friends - who know what it would be too. Some of them are in your ranks. I would caution you against making a hasty decision that will cause the events of Kuchiki-san's execution sentence to repeat themselves."

"Is that a threat?" Yamamoto asked, sounding almost...weary.

"To those who are of the mind to see it, a warning and a threat are very different things. Consider this a warning. If you choose to handle this unwisely, there will be repercussions. And Seireitei is in no position to be handling any more drama."

Silence reigned for a long moment. And then Rukia's discipline went up in flames and she sent her older brother a long, pleading look. "Nii-sama..."

Had Kuchiki Byakuya been the kind of man who sighed, he looked like he might have done just that. But, perhaps due to Rukia's almost strategically timed plea right after Uryuu had mentioned her almost-execution, the noble instead stepped forward, meeting his commander's gaze evenly. "Soutaichou. Regardless of the girl's allegiance, surely her companions can handle such a small matter. Seireitei has more important things to do than meddle in human affairs." He sounded like he truthfully believed this.

Uryuu thanked whatever deity was out there for brotherly love. He would have bet his sewing kit that Byakuya gave less than a rats arse about Inoue-san. But at the request of his sister he had clearly, in his own politically-correct manner, declared which side he would fall on in this issue. He glanced around. Surely there were more who could help settle this in his favor. He locked eyes with Zaraki Kenpachi. Hadn't he once carried Inoue-san around on his back? As unnerving as the thought was, there perhaps, he might have an ally.

"Zaraki-taichou," he inquired. He needn't have said anymore, for the menacing Shinigami simply shrugged carelessly.

"Ichigo went out of his way to save that woman. Even if we found her guilty, we'd be his enemies if we tried to do anything about it." For a brief moment, Kenpachi's eyes lit up with excitement. "I wouldn't mind being on the end of his sword again, but..." He eyed those around him. "Something tells me I'd be the only one."

"Hoo boy, you've got that right," Kyoraku said with a slight smile.

"The fact still remains that she is a threat," Soi Fon said, "The nature of her powers could be very problematic if she is indeed siding with Aizen."

"Then allow me to offer a compromise." Uryuu stepped forward, addressing the room at large. "We won't ask for your assistance in finding Inoue-san, although we would appreciate it. You can be free to gather evidence on her all you like. The only condition will be that should you find her, or any information about her, you immediately inform us." His blue eyes flashed. "If you find enough to implicate her, I insist that you allow us to deal with it."

"Are we supposed to believe that you will be capable of dealing with her as a traitor?" Mayuri asked with a clear note of disdain, "Don't make me laugh."

Ishida scowled at the mere sound of his voice.

"Inoue-san is a human. She doesn't fall under your jurisdiction in any event. We will deal with her with _human_ justice, not the warped monstrosity you people endorse."

Kyoraku waved a hand and chuckled slightly. "Well, insults aside, that sounds pretty reasonable to me. What do you say, Yama-jii?"

The eldest Shinigami was quiet for a moment, clearly considering what had been said. Uryuu knew what must have been running through his mind - Inoue-san was a treasured companion of the war hero Kurosaki Ichigo, whom, despite his current state, held far too much loyalty from the within the Gotei thirteen, as well as the Vizards, to cross without serious thought. There were those who would fight for Inoue-san on a personal level, but there were many more who would fight for her because of Ichigo or other loyalties. Picking a fight with those people would be the last thing Soul Society should want just then.

Uryuu knew the exact moment the ancient Captain gave in, his stooped shoulders seeming just a little more hunched. "Very well," he stated, "We shall refrain from declaring the girl a traitor until we have more information, all of which shall be filtered through to you humans." Yamamoto huffed. "I assumed we will be in contact with you through Urahara Kisuke." Clearly the thought annoyed him.

Uryuu nodded, not allowing the immense relief he felt to show on his face. "We'll be in touch." With one last glance at Rukia and Renji, he turned to leave, aware of the blatant disrespect he showed as he did so without a word. He didn't care. He would never be comfortable in a room full of Shinigami.

* * *

Had anyone stepped out into the corridor, they would have been met with the ridiculous sight of a fully clothed Inoue Orihime, tentatively poking her head - still wrapped in a worn looking blue towel - out of the bathroom door, wide grey eyes searching the dark for any signs of her captor. Seeing how no one appeared, she seemed to settle slightly, stepping out of the steam filled room.

The bath had been more pleasant than expected. She hadn't realized just _how much_ blood and dirt had been clinging to her skin. Her uniform had been _peeled _off more than anything else.

The drab grey kimono she now wore was far less extravagant than her tattered white uniform, but also thicker and warmer. The house they were in was more than a little chilly, and the extra layers of cloth helped keep the cold at bay and made her feel more secure, less like her body was on display.

She pondered where to go next, giving what she suspected was the front door a longing look. Ulquiorra was nowhere in sight, but if she concentrated she could sense his and Grimmjow's reiatsu across the hall, behind the closed door she hadn't been inside yet. She wondered what they were doing, a corny line from one of her favorite horror movies flickering through her mind; _'It's quiet..._too _quiet._'

There was nothing to suggest that the two Espada's were silently engaged in a battle to the death but maybe...if they had each other distracted, she could get a peek outside? The bathroom windows had been - rather ominously - boarded over from the outside, and only a slight whistling indicated that any air got in or out at all.

She wouldn't run away or anything, certainly not while Ulquiorra had her Shun Shun Rika held hostage. Silently, she wondered if that had been the Espada's motivation more than anything to do with 'not underestimating her'. She was unaware of the childish scowl that crossed her face at the thought. Whatever crash course Ulquiorra had taken in manipulation from Aizen-sama seemed to have paid off.

Well whatever his reasoning, he couldn't keep her in the dark forever just because he had her powers. If she was really all alone with such dangerous people, it would be up to _her _figure her way out of the situation herself!

Ehehe...or maybe she was just trying to psych herself up into doing something stupid. Orihime deflated slightly.

Well, what else could she do? Knock on the door she knew Ulquiorra was in? Quietly go back to the room she was in before? Come to think of it, that had looked like a kitchen...why had Ulquiorra dumped her in the kitchen anyway? Her eyes widened. Had she been kidnapped again to be some sort of...maid? Like in that American TV show where the Beast kidnapped the Princess to clean his castle!

Well, the house was no castle but it _did_ look like it could use a good dusting...

She shook her head. Real life, she had learned, was far more sinister than that. And so was Ulquiorra. Whatever her purpose here was, she doubted it had anything to do with housekeeping.

She made up her mind with a stern nod. She was going to find out just where the hell she was, whether _he_ wanted to tell her or not.

Orihime had never before made a concerted effort to 'tip-toe', but she figured that there couldn't possibly be a better reason to try. The socks Ulquiorra had given her were thick and soft, helping to muffle her cautious steps. She braced one hand against the wall, using it to balance her as she snuck over the treacherously squeaky wooden floor. She furrowed her brow in concentration as she moved along, freezing in place for a good thirty seconds when a misstep caused a loud creak. She peered nervously over her shoulder, half expecting an angry Espada to burst through the door.

When she finally reached the front door she used a quivering hand to push it open, half surprised to find that it wasn't locked.

Orihime stepped out onto a beautiful white landscape, and for a brief moment her heart leapt into her throat. It had seemed - if only for the second it took her eyes to adjust to the light- as if she were still in Hueco Mundo. She moved further away from the house, gazing around in awe. Mountains surrounded her, covered in glistening white snow and thousands of trees, many without leaves. Judging by the light, it was early morning. She shivered, clutching her new outfit to her and was immediately grateful that she was no longer in her ruined Arrancar uniform.

She exhaled slowly, watching the cloud of air form in front of her. Wherever they were, it wasn't _there_. That at least, was something to be grateful for. The atmosphere alone told her that she was in the living world - she was home. She breathed in deeply, the scent of pine and damp soil. The small house behind her had clearly been abandoned for a long time, judging by their surroundings. A few meters away there was a pile of neatly chopped wood that had become overgrown, a rusty axe blinking at her from beneath the leaves.

She felt a biting cold begin to pierce her socks, gasping in dismay as she realized they were getting wet.

"What are you doing?"

Orihime spun around, cheeks flushing. Ulquiorra stood a few steps away from the open doorway, pale skin almost blending with the snow. She immediately saw his eyes flicker up at the towel wrapped around her head, keeping her wet hair contained. She realized she must have looked slightly silly.

"U-Ulquiorra-san...I just wanted to see outside."

She knew he was probably unhappy that she had left without permission. His stony expression didn't change at her explanation.

She placed a hand sheepishly behind her head, a nervous giggle falling from her. "I mean, um, you don't really think I'd try to escape with a towel on my head, do you?"

He seemed to consider this for a moment and she caught his head tilting ever so slightly to the side as he regarded her. After a moment he said, "On the contrary, I believe you capable of all manner of foolishness."

Orihime winced internally. Ouch.

"Uh, okay, but I wasn't going to run or anything. It's just that the windows in the bathroom were boarded over and you wouldn't tell me when I asked so I figured I would go see for myself." She glanced around. "I still don't know where we are though...?"

"Northern Japan." Ulquiorra replied evenly, causing Orihime's eyes to widen in delight. "But don't get attached. We won't be staying here for long."

She frowned. "We won't? Why? Where are we going?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Orihime's jaw fell open and she gaped stupidly. "Wha- you don't even know?"

Ulquiorra didn't seem bothered by her incredulity. "We will be making a brief return to Hueco Mundo. I have some business to take care of there. After that, I will have to find a new destination in the human world where no one will search for us."

She lowered her head, staring at the snow and her now completely soaked socks in confusion. "I don't understand. Do you even have a reason for taking me? Why are you doing this?"

"Why does it matter?"

She gasped in disbelief, knowing full well that she was looking at him as if he were insane. "Why does it matter? It just does! If you don't have a reason for taking me and you don't even know where we're going then you...you!" She had no idea how to finish. Instead she stepped towards the unfazed Espada, glared up at him and jabbed an accusatory finger into his chest, barely aware of how his skin jerked beneath her. "Then you're officially the worst kidnapper ever!"

Ulquiorra seemed mildly perturbed by this accusation and easily caught her hand in his, refusing to release her even after she paled and tried to step away from him. "What are you talking about, onna? I have successfully removed you from your friends and secured you in my grasp." As if to make his point, his eyes rolled down to where he had her hand gripped firmly in his own, his fingers pressed into her palm. "What more is there to it?"

Orihime realized she was trembling, not quite sure how she had allowed herself to forget just who she was speaking to. Ulquiorra could crush the bones in her hands with no effort and hardly a second thought. Her eyes widened as the pad of his thumb brushed lightly over the back of her hand. "And besides," he added softly, as an afterthought, "I never said I had no reason for taking you."

She whimpered, unable to stop herself as the stress of her situation caught up to her. His eyes snapped up to hers at the sound, green depths unfathomable. "So, onna," he murmured, "Which are you now? Confused...or uncomfortable?"

She averted her eyes, trying to calm the shaking of her hand where Ulquiorra held it to his chest. "Both. But I'm not afraid."

A single, slender finger dipped under her chin, curling lightly into her jaw and forcing her to look up at him, which she did with wide eyes, surprised at the unprecedented initiation of such intimate touch. "And tell me..." he began slowly, green orbs flickering over her face - in search of what she knew not. "If I were to break this hand," his fingers tightened their grip, almost - but not quite - painfully. "Would you be afraid then?"

Orihime felt her breath hitch in her throat, knew he could no doubt feel her pulse racing. The air between them felt electrified, and she realized that somehow they had been drawn closer together. She could feel the warmth from his body, a presence that felt so _human_, so _normal_ and yet _wasn't_. His hair had fallen over his shoulder around his neck as he leaned over her. He was close enough that she could count the lashes around his eyes. There was an odd sensation in her stomach, as if a ball of nerves were causing all of her insides to clench. Would she be afraid if he followed through with his threat?

"Yes," she breathed, unable to look away, entire body suddenly incredibly hot at the confession. Ulquiorra's face flashed with an expression that she couldn't decipher.

"I see," he said. She wondered if he did. They were frozen in place like that for a moment, faces inches apart.

And then he suddenly released her and took a step back, his absence causing an icy chill to invade the space he had just occupied. Her hands curled into her chest and she watched him retreat, gaze alarmed and wary. He turned, watching her from the corner of his eye.

"Come back inside now. It's too cold for a human out here."

Orihime followed him into the hut without another word, unable to shake the though that, on the contrary, she felt rather overheated.

And...she was still wearing a towel on her head.

* * *

A/N: I dunno about you guys, but that last scene felt incredibly steamy considering all they did was...'hold hands'. Lol, I guess that's the magic of UlquiHime xD

And then I reread it and imagine Orihime with that damn towel on her head and I crack up.

No Grimmjow, I know, but he'll be back next time.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope to hear more from you after this chapter :D


	3. Utopia

**Utopia:**

* * *

Grimmjow had been drifting in and out of consciousness. The princess had probably saved his life, but she hadn't restored all the energy he'd lost trying to keep himself from dying all that time in Hueco Mundo. His reserves were completely drained, and he was pretty sure he had never in his life been more weak and vulnerable.

Ulquiorra had dragged him none-too-gently into this shitty little room and shoved him almost violently onto the creaky, stained bed in the corner. Grimmjow couldn't remember the pale bastard ever getting this physical with anyone like that before, and his only consolation was that he had probably pissed him off when he'd trapped him with the caja de negacion. His face was still just as dull and _infuriating _as before, but judging by the way he was yanking him around like a bad dog, the oh-so-calm-and-collected-suck-up-_bitchspada _was feeling a bit _temperamental. _

And given how Grimmjow barely had the energy to walk, he was going to count getting under Ulquiorra's pasty-white skin as a _win_. It was nice to know that even though he couldn't protect himself for shit, he could still annoy Ulquiorra at least half as much as Ulquiorra annoyed him.

And so he had forced himself to smirk, even whilst being manhandled by those white hands, giving the green eyed freak the most unfazed look he could manage. "Are you sure you wanna get my blood all over these sheets?" he had asked casually as Ulquiorra stood over him. The fourth gave him a questioning look and Grimmjow leered. "I figure you'll be pounding that little princess into them sooner or later."

Ulquiorra's eyes had narrowed. "Excuse me?" he said dangerously. Grimmjow let out a bark of laughter that tore painfully through his chest, but he paid that no mind.

"What, you think I haven't noticed the way you look at her? Tche." Grimmjow scoffed. " Aizen's gone and you've got her all to yourself now. So..." He returned Ulquiorra's narrow gaze in challenge. "I expect you'll have her face down beneath you in no time."

He sensed Ulquiorra's reiatsu beginning to leak out from his perfectly mastered control, half-shocked that his words had elicited any response whatsoever. He gave the man above him his most psychotic grin, thoughts racing as he considered how best to incense the Espada he had hated more and more every day since he'd first met him.

"I'll admit, I had my doubts about you. Seemed like Aizen had created some sort of walking statue to run his damn errands. You acted like you were better than the rest of us for fucking and fighting, and yet here you are, kidnapping teenage girls. You gonna make her scream for you?" He laughed loudly as Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "Don't get your hopes up that she'll tough it out like a brave little girl, she'll be in tears before her clothes are even off, _begging_ you to let her go, _begging_ you not to hurt her. And you-"

Grimmjow choked as his air supply was suddenly cut of, Ulquiorra's long fingers digging mercilessly into his throat. He had stared up into at the fourth Espada, supremely satisfied to see the rage simmering in those green eyes he hated so damn much. Even as Ulquiorra's lips had curled slightly to reveal clenched teeth, he had grinned, relishing that he could provoke such a strong reaction. When had Ulquiorra become so damn emotional?

He honestly hadn't given much thought to the things he had said, mostly just going ahead and saying whatever came to mind to get a reaction he had only half-expected to receive. And yet there Ulquiorra was, going ahead and strangling him for saying some nasty things about him and the little princess. Perhaps his words had hit a bit closer to home than he had thought.

How fucking hilarious. The most indifferent, cold-hearted son of a bitch out of them all had gone and got the hots for some annoying little human. How truly pathetic.

"What I do with her is none of your concern, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra somehow _still_ managed to sound dull and unimpressed, even though his fingers were digging into his windpipe like he wanted to tear it out. "You will keep your vulgar thoughts to yourself from now on, particularly in front of the onna. If I catch you trying to frighten her..."

Sadly, the rest of Ulquiorra's no doubt _terrifying_ speech was cut off as he had lost consciousness at that point. He had woken up a couple of times since then. Ulquiorra had left and returned at some point, leaning against the wall adjacent to the door, eyes closed. He had just barely begun to glance in his direction, somehow sensing his gaze, before Grimmjow had passed out again.

It wasn't his injuries weakening him like this he knew, but rather his complete and utter lack of reiatsu. Like a tank on empty, his injuries could heal, but his fighting power would take longer to return if that woman didn't work her magic some more.

He had never hated someone more than he did Ulquiorra at that moment. Everything about the guy set him on edge, made his blood boil. He had deliberately stopped the princess from healing him just to keep him in line - for _what_ reason he had no idea. Even Kurosaki had been less infuriating.

And yet both of them, Ulquiorra, and that orange haired twat...both of them had done something utterly unforgivable.

They had saved his life.

* * *

"Ulquiorra-san, can I ask you something?"

Orihime leaned over the tub, replacing the wet towel in its place on the rail and letting her hair hang in limp, damp stands over her shoulders. As if to further emphasize the tragic absence of her Shun Shun Rika, her bangs fell into her face. She took advantage of this to partly hide her sombre expression as she turned back to her captor, standing with his hands in his pockets behind her, somehow managing to still look intimidating even though he was a few feet away from a toilet.

"You may," he said monotonously, though there was the barest hint of curiosity shining through his words. Orihime hesitated, the question she had been putting off for so long rattling around inside her. She wasn't sure she could handle hearing the answer.

In an attempt to distract herself, she sat down on the edge of the tub, lifting each foot up in a rather unlady-like manner to remove her wet socks. Ulquiorra watched her patiently as she fidgeted with the damp items, the look on his face indicating that he really didn't care if she asked or not, he would still stare at her in silence for as long as she continued to sit there.

She cleared her throat, steeling her nerves. No matter what he said now, she would have to maintain her resolve. She couldn't cry in front of him. She couldn't break down.

The only reaction she might allow would be another hearty slap to his face. Depending on his answer, she really wouldn't care what he did to her afterwards.

"Is...Did you..." She shook her head, clenching her fists, abusing and stretching the socks in her hands with a vengeance. She had to get this out of the way now. And she couldn't mumble it into her lap. She raised her eyes to his, noting the way he studied her nervousness and fidgeting with a mild display of interest. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and settling her hands peacefully on her legs, not without some difficulty. She had to know. "Is Ishida-kun...aliv-" She choked, swallowed thickly, gave her resolve a hard kick. "Is Ishida-kun alright? Did you hurt him?"

Whatever it had been in Ulquiorra's expression that had made her think he was interested vanished without a trace, and she couldn't shake the thought that he suddenly looked incredibly _bored_ with her, as if she had raised his hopes and then disappointed him. As if she had failed some weird test that only he knew about. He closed his eyes and turned away. "He is fine, onna. I saw no reason to end his life."

And it was like all her breath returned to her, and the small bundle of nerves she had unknowingly been carrying around with her dispersed. She was unable to hold back a sigh of relief, slumping as if all her bones were sighing with her. Her trembling hands locked together in her lap. Thank God Ishida-kun was alright. That meant that, from when she had last sensed them all, everyone she loved was alive and well.

"Why does this information effect you so much? It does nothing to change your situation. Your life is still in my hands."

She shivered at Ulquiorra's cold, undoubtedly annoyed words. The irate Espada was now glaring at her through the corner of one green eye, and she did her best to give him a smile, though she knew it must have looked pitying. It was sad - after everything, he still didn't get it. "Because I don't care what happens to me, Ulquiorra-san. My heart is with them. So long as they are safe, I will be happy."

A movement on the side of his hakama caught her eye, and Orihime got the disturbing impression that Ulquiorra had just _flexed _his fingers in a physical manifestation of his frustration. That couldn't be a good sign.

"What foolishness. You would let your life come second to the safety of others? Those are not the instincts of any creature who wishes to survive in this world."

Orihime shrugged, aware that she was treading on dangerous ground by brushing his off but also unable to refrain from speaking her mind when he was so clearly _wrong_. "People evolved past the need to prioritize themselves a long time ago. Society would never have come as far as it has if everyone did that." She sighed wistfully. "If everyone in the world put others first, we would live in utopia. There would be no need for survival instincts anymore because no one would be in danger. Do you see what I'm saying?"

She studied his profile hopefully and managed not to flinch when he turned his head towards her and responded, his eyes unfriendly and his tone glacial. "Those are the naive sentiments of someone who has no true appreciation for reality. If you apply ideologies that require the rest of the world's co-operation you will be very disappointed with the result, onna. You do not live in this 'utopia'. Behaving as if you do will get you killed."

Orihime mulled over his words for a long moment, aware that Ulquiorra was waiting for her to lower her head in submission and accept his sentiments. Instead she frowned intently and asked another question that had been crawling around in her mind, and which she was fairly certain would throw him off his argumentative horse. "Are _you_ going to kill me, Ulquiorra-san?"

As expected, his response was a noticeable stiffening of his shoulders and a slight widening of his eyes. He stared at her in what had to have been the _loudest_ silence Orihime had ever experienced. If her suspicions were correct, he would try to evade the question altogether.

"You miss the point," he answered with far more calm than his posture suggested he had. Orihime smiled, inwardly giving herself a thumbs up that she had predicted Ulquiorra's reaction.

"No, I don't. You're saying that my feelings should have more to do with reality. So what _is_ my reality then?" She blinked up at him innocently. "Are you going to kill me or not?"

There was yet another long silence. Orihime had to resist a satisfied grin, not wanting to push her luck with the frosty Espada, especially when he was giving her _that_ look.

"If you _were_, you would have just said yes. So, since you're not going to, at least for now, and since you won't let Grimmjow-san do it, I'd say my reality is pretty safe right now and I can think whatever I want." She rested her hands on either side of her, gripping the tub and leaning backwards, eyes clearly narrowed at him in triumph. It wasn't often that she got to beat someone in an argument because she had never been an argumentative person. Only Ulquiorra made her feel this weird competitive urge to be _right_.

Perhaps because he actively challenged her beliefs and philosophies every time they spoke.

Ulquiorra observed her for a moment before saying rather ominously, "You make a lot of assumptions, onna. Another habit that will get you killed."

Orihime's high wavered and she pouted. It wasn't fair that he could get the last word by saying something vague like that just to scare her. He was playing dirty.

But before she could respond he had already turned around and crossed over to the door, his coat tails whipping around the corner into the corridor. Orihime stared at the doorway huffily, for the first time feeling the urge to chase after someone and pick a fight.

He was such a bully. _He_ was the one who knew nothing about the world. Did he think she was some pampered princess who had never experienced the pain life could offer? She could still remember her mother screaming at her, calling her filthy names when she stole her makeup and used half of it with the result of making her four-year-old self look like a clown. She could remember her father breaking her arm for throwing up on the carpet. Those girls at school punching and kicking and tugging, cutting her hair, calling her things that made her feel hideous and worthless. Having her brother die after their last conversation that had contained some of the nastiest things she had ever said. She had been so upset after her day at school, and he had only wanted to cheer her up, but she had taken it out on him and then he had _died_. And years later, when she had spent the majority of her life seeing a heartless monster every time she looked in the mirror, that same brother had come back and tried to kill her.

And that was before she had ever been to Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, where she had been threatened and beaten and psychologically abused by _him_, the heartless Espada who even now carried with him so nonchalantly the most precious gift she had ever received. And he thought that just because she found reasons to smile and be happy she didn't understand the world. He was the one who-! Who...

Who...

And then Orihime's growing hot rage was slowly doused in an icy wave of pity. Someone like her, who had been hurt so many times, could still find reasons to smile...and he couldn't.

The grey eyes that had moments ago contained fury now softened on the empty doorway. Tatsuki-chan had told her something once. The karate champion had chased away yet another group of hostile girls, and had begun rubbing Orihime's back as she sobbed. Tatsuki-chan had stared after the girls retreating backs and said; _"You know Orihime, I'll tell you a secret that might make you feel better." _Orihime had looked up at her with wet, puffy, curious eyes.

She had applied Tatsuki-chan's secret so many times since then. Most recently with those two unforgettable Arrancar girls back at Hueco Mundo, who had looked at her with so much hatred and jealousy she had been powerless to do anything else.

_"There's no one in this world more deserving of your pity than a bully."_

* * *

Urahara looked up as the shoji screen door slid open, revealing a rather grim looking bespectacled young man. He grinned pleasantly in greeting.

"Ishida-san, back so soon! I had no idea you were so fond of my patient."

Ignoring him completely, as people were wont to do with most of Urahara's babbling, Uryuu looked down at the orange haired substitute shinigami on the floor and asked, "How is he?"

Urahara raised his fan to his face, only his sombre eyes peering out from the shadow of his hat visible. "The same. We can expect his recovery to take some time, Ishida-san. But I think you know that. So tell me, why are you here?"

Uryuu stepped further into the room, moving to shut the sliding door behind him before a deep voice barked up at him from the ground. "Not so fast, Uryuu!"

Uryuu glanced down at the amber eyed black cat that sauntered into the room, taking a seat beside Urahara.

"Yoruichi-san! You've been avoiding me all morning and yet here you are, gracing me with your wonderful presence just as Ishida-san arrives. I'm hurt!"

The cat seemed to be grinning. "I figured he might have something interesting to say since he ran off to Soul Society as soon as he got out of the garganta." She turned disdainful eyes on the candy salesman. "And I wasn't avoiding you, Kisuke. I have better things to do, you know."

"Ah, of course, of course, birds to catch, dogs to chase, I understand completely Yoruichi-san!"

The cat smirked. "Yeah."

The door sliding shut caused the friends to once again turn their attention to Uryuu, who took a seat on the other side of Ichigo as if he were some morbid coffee table.

"Inoue-san has been taken again," he said, not bothering to beat about the bush.

Twin expressions of shock graced Urahara and Yoruichi's faces.

"Taken?" Urahara murmured.

"Where? By whom?" Yoruichi demanded.

Uryuu shook his head. "I have no idea. So far I've just barely managed to convince Soul Society not to publicly brand her a traitor and to keep us updated on their investigation. I told them that if they find her they'll have to hand her over to us, but as to whether they'll comply..." he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, I'm dubious."

The cat and the candy salesman shared a look. "How did her abduction come about?" Urahara asked. Uryuu shifted uncomfortably.

"Under some very suspicious circumstances, I'll admit. I was knocked unconscious from behind. Inoue-san was behind me at the time, and I didn't sense anyone else around. When I woke up she was gone."

"Hmmm." Urahara slammed his fan shut on his palm. "That is a rather unfortunate set of facts, Ishida-san. I take it you told Soul Society the same story?"

"What was I supposed to do? Make something else up randomly?"

Urahara sighed. "I wouldn't expect you to do such a thing, but it probably would have been for the best. The Soul Society is not known for their understanding nature. I'm surprised you even got as much out of them as you did."

"I had to name-drop Kurosaki more than once," Uryuu admitted "And I may have implied some things about you two and the Vizards."

Yoruichi chuckled. "Nice going, Uryuu. You're quite the diplomat."

The quincy nodded. "I won't actually expect you two to help after everything you've already done, but I have to ask that you at least do me the favour of receiving and dealing the information from Soul Society to me."

Urahara chuckled. "And leave dear Inoue-san's fate up to you alone? The poor girl will disappear forever!"

A nerve twitched in Uryuu's temple. "I think you just insulted me..."

"Ah, no, of course not, of course not Ishida-san!" Urahara exclaimed, "You've already proven your competence a hundred times over, but to be honest you're not really-" He was stopped by sharp claws digging into his knee, eliciting a loud cry of pain, "Ah, Yoruichi-san, that hurts! That hurts!"

"What Kisuke is trying to say is that obviously we'll help you find her," Yoruichi said before releasing her claw's hold on Urahara's tender flesh.

"The war has made you cruel, my dear Yoruichi-san," Urahara said, far too cheerfuly.

"Don't sound so happy about it," the cat grumbled as Urahara's large hand gently petted her back.

Uryuu glanced between them somewhat hesitantly. "You don't think she's a traitor then?"

Urahara then gave the most devious smirk Uryuu had ever seen, for once revealing the ominous inner personality that the jubilant candy salesman held within him, before covering it up once again with his fan. "Frankly, Ishida-san, I wouldn't care if she was."

Uryuu had no idea how to interpret that, and he wasn't given the chance to try as Urahara's intense gaze bore into him. "Now...tell us from the beginning...exactly what happened."

* * *

"He doesn't look so scary when he's asleep, does he?"

Orihime addressed the question to Ulquiorra as she stared down at the peacefully resting sexta Espada. She didn't expect him to answer, though she turned to look at him anyway. She wasn't surprised to find his eyes already on her. He said nothing, though his gaze did drift towards Grimmjow for a moment, a clearly dissatisfied expression making its way onto his face.

Orihime had calmed down from her earlier emotional distress enough to follow her captor into the mysterious third room. It was about the same size as the kitchen, sporting a rickety looking metal bed, an empty bookshelf, a large chest at the foot of the bed and a wooden desk next to the door. It looked and smelled very much abandoned, and the windows were similarly boarded up, the only light source coming from the old lamp on the desk. It made Ulquiorra and Grimmjow's white, alien forms seem all the more mysterious and interesting, shadows playing over their faces.

She knew Ulquiorra was surprised to see her so calm after their little spat, because she herself was surprised. She silently relished that she had come out of that bathroom in as good a mood as her situation would allow. If Ulquiorra wasn't planning on hurting her physically, then the worst he could do was play with her emotions. And she sure as hell wasn't going to sit back and let him.

"What are you thinking about, onna?"

She realized when green eyes came suddenly into focus that she had been staring at him fairly intently for some time. While she'd like to say she had every right to do so considering he could enter a talent contest and do nothing but sit there without blinking until the judges became extremely uncomfortable, she really didn't want to explain that to him. Instead, she cast her eyes around, trying to find something to say. They landed on Grimmjow and she voiced a suspicion that began to form in her mind from the moment she'd walked into the room..

"Ah, Ulquiorra-san...you didn't..._make_ him go to sleep, did you?" Her hand moved to the back of her head, where the large lump still ached from where Ulquiorra had no doubt knocked her unconscious. It hurt quite a bit, but she could imagine Ulquiorra had even less gentle with Grimmjow. Ulquiorra only confirmed her suspicion by remaining stubbornly silent.

She sighed, probing the hard bump. It felt like something large had crawled under her scalp. She shuddered - once again her imagination going too far. Ulquiorra noticed and frowned at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh." She shook her head, lowering her arm to her side. "It's nothing." She didn't want to have to tell Ulquiorra that he had hit her too hard when she was lucky he hadn't cracked her skull. How strong people like him and Kurosaki-kun didn't go around snapping off door handles and breaking glasses by accident, she would never know. Maybe that was why there were no door handles in Las Noches?

She could never have that much control over so much power. If she had Ulquiorra's strength she would screw up all the time. If she tried to brush her teeth, she would probably squeeze all the toothpaste out in one go. What a nightmare that would be.

So really, one little bump wasn't a big deal...

"Onna," Ulquiorra broke through her thoughts, "Do not lie to me."

She sighed, taking a step back and leaning against the wall opposite the pale Espada, next to the book shelf. "It's no big deal, really, it's just a little bump is all."

Ulquiorra's face didn't really lend itself to looking puzzled, but it was giving a good attempt. "What?"

She blushed. God, she was going to sound so whiny. Ulquiorra had already called her pathetic more than once. "Well, the back of my head...I guess where you..." She had no earthly idea what he had done, she could only remember a burst of pain and then darkness. "Um, hit me I guess...it's a bit sore."

Comprehension dawned and Ulquiorra moved towards her. She didn't think she would ever get used to him doing that. Ulquiorra's presence when he got near felt like an overwhelming ...well, it was just overwhelming. She became very aware of him when he was close like this - aware of how crisp and neat his coat was, perfectly hugging his body, his posture so stern and commanding, his hair ironically messy under that massive, heavy looking bone helmet. That intense, unreadable look in freakishly green eyes. He was only a few inches taller than her and yet he made her feel tiny in a way not even Aizen had.

She stood completely frozen as his hand left his pocket, an intense sense of déjà vu assaulting her as it lifted through the air, pale and slender. It reached around her head, the cuffs of his sleeves brushing her cheek, his eyes locked with hers. She gasped in pain as his fingers slid through her damp hair, gently probing the sizeable goose-egg. He frowned before retracting his hand and reaching into his pocket, holding out her Shun Shun Rika for her once again.

"Heal it," he said. Orihime flushed, still very uncomfortable with how close he was standing.

"I-it's fine, I don't need to use them for something so trivial." How embarrassing! He probably thought she was a big cry baby.

His frown deepened. "It will cause you discomfort for many days, onna. Heal it." This time, it was an obvious command. Hesitantly, she took her hairpins into her hands.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"For what?" He sounded like he really didn't know. She blinked up at him.

That was a damn good point. For a minute there, she had almost forgotten that Ulquiorra was a no-good kidnapper and any inconvenience she caused to him was his own damn fault. Why was _she_ apologising because she was going to heal an injury _he_ caused? What the heck was going on with her brain?

She shook her head, summoned her fairies silently, and pouted at the floor. "Nothing."

Ulquiorra stared at her while she avoided his gaze as slowly the pain faded from her head. She wondered if Ayame and Shuno could reject whatever it was up there that had her thoughts so muddled.

She sullenly handed Ulquiorra the pins when she was done, and only then did he turn away from her, pocketing her brothers precious gift as he did so.

"Well, aint that sweet."

They both turned to stare at the source of the voice. Grimmjow stared up at them from his position on the bed before slowly sitting up, swinging his legs over the edge and placing his boots on the floor. He smirked at them with heavy eyes. "Ulquiorra...I don't think I've ever see you so concerned over something as pathetic as a bump on the head."

Orihime sighed internally. So if it wasn't Ulquiorra, it was Grimmjow calling her pathetic.

"Don't feel so guilty," Grimmjow continued, "How else were you supposed to get her away from her precious friends without her screaming your ears off?" He grinned.

Orihime's eyes slid over to the pale Espada, nervously anticipating his response. How Grimmjow could be comfortable talking smack to Ulquiorra when he probably didn't even have the energy to walk straight baffled her. But...she was curious, eagerly searching Ulquiorra's face for any sign of a reaction. Did he feel guilty? Concerned? The mere thought made her eye twitch in defiance of such a reality-shattering possibility. Ulquiorra may have been the least violent Espada she had met so far, but he also seemed the least likely to have second thoughts about causing serious harm if he saw the need for it.

But Ulquiorra simply gave the sexta Espada a particularly cold look. "If you are awake now, we can get going."

Grimmjow quirked a brow, seemingly taken aback. "Going where?" he demanded.

"Back to Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow scowled. "We just got back _from_ Hueco Mundo, dipshit. Why'd you bring us here in the first place?"

Orihime watched Ulquiorra's lips thin in annoyance, glancing back and forth between the two Espada, not exactly happy to be caught between the two of them. "Idiot." Ulquiorra deadpanned, "I needed to remove the both of you from Hueco Mundo before the Shinigami there discovered us, and the onna needed to wash away some of her scent."

Grimmjow's nostrils flared, and he turned in Orihime's direction, quite blatantly _sniffing_ her. He settled back after a moment. "Hn. So she did."

Colour rose to her cheeks and she stared at the floor. "Oh, uh - I didn't know I smelled that bad. Sorry."

Ulquiorra studied her in silence, but Grimmjow let out a loud snort. "Your scent made you smell like a _meal_, girly," he drawled, "It's quite appetizing. Nothing smells better to a hollow then sweat, blood and fear." He licked his lips to give the full menacing effect.

Orihime turned to Ulquiorra, eyes wide, and her blush intensified when the fourth said nothing to contradict Grimmjow's claim. She fidgeted

"But won't the hollow sense me?"

"My reiatsu renders your presence negligible. So long as your scent is not inhibiting their judgement, none will approach you while I or Grimmjow are near."

"Oh, okay." She hesitated. "But, just in case, shouldn't I have my hairpins with me?"

Ulquiorra's answer was a solid, "No."

"But what if for some reason I need to defend myself and you're distracted?"

"I am not easily distracted, onna."

Orihime bit her lip, trying to come up with a way to counter his rather simple, yet elegant argument.

"But what if-"

"Enough." Ulquiorra said firmly, cold green eyes freezing her blood. "You're annoying me. This is not a negotiation. "

Her face fell. Ulquiorra snapped his fingers without warning, and immediately the gaping maw of the garganta opened. That was one way to end a conversation.

"Come, onna, Grimmjow."

* * *

A/N: Lol, all these characters bounce off each other so well. I don't even need to plan out an entire conversation - just the first two or three lines and then BAM, 500 words pretty much just write themselves according to what these guys want to say. That being said, Grimmjow really said some nasty stuff in this chapter! I figure, considering his condition, he'd carry on fighting Ulquiorra the only other way he can - by being a complete douche.

I hope you all enjoyed and that everyone stayed in character for you (I actually have a much harder time writing Orihime and Grimmjow than I do Ulquiorra! How weird, right?) I loved writing Urahara! He's so fucking bad ass. Like, seriously, what a pimp. I find him incredibly attractive.

Anyway, your reviews make me incredibly happy and eager to continue torturing Kubo-sensei's characters, so please keep 'em coming! :)


	4. The Dark

A/N: This message will be long, so feel free to scroll down to the chapter. I apologize for the inconvenience :D

To _Nom de Plume_:

Thank you so much for your awesome, insightful review! I really, really enjoyed it. I was blushing the whole way through. Your criticism regarding Orihime was well said and constructive, so thank you very much :) I was actually losing steam a bit. I had half of this chapter written before I got distracted with some other stuff. Then this morning I read your review and it just got me all fired up and eager to write again! I just want to address some stuff quickly though (I would have PM-ed you, but ah well)

I think a lot of people make the mistake of falling on two sides of the spectrum with Orihime: They either make her a completely unbelievable ditz with a wacky, out of this world imagination or in an attempt to humanize her they make her a walking sack of self-loathing and angst. Orihime is such a wonderful character because she possesses all these traits in moderation. And they are by no means the extent of her character (however much the Hueco Mundo arc might have made it seem so - if it weren't for the Ulquihime angle I would have been severely pissed with Kubo for what he did with Orihime there -' wahhh, kurosaki-kun, kurosaki-kun' - blegh!)

But, there is yet more to her character! She came in the top three of her grade - I mean, I'm pretty smart and I never even made it into the top 50 list. She has black belt level hand-to-hand combat skills. She's a poet (think: if I were the rain...) and obviously a philosopher, judging by her one speech to Ulquiorra. She's resourceful (it was her idea to beat up those Shinigami and steal their uniforms - which she did single handedly! - in the Soul Society Arc). And, as Ulquiorra so kindly has revealed to us, she _has_ a mental 'fuck-this-shit' button (think: epic bitch slap). People have a tendency to write her as this pure, innocent person who couldn't possible have bad thoughts about anyone - and she's much better than most, I'll admit. _But_, she had a bratty tantrum with her brother for getting her a present she didn't like. She was thrust into maturity way too quickly after that, but she's just like the rest of us plebs.

My point in bringing all of this up is that it's really hard for me to write her _because_ she's such an underestimated character. People often say 'well, surely Orihime wouldn't do _that_', whereas in my mind I'm like; 'no, no, think about it for a sec and I think you'll see she _would_'. It's incredibly hard to break the stereotypical mould of a character while still keeping her...y'know...IN character. Almost impossible really xD But there is, for the most part, a reason for most of what I write. For example, I could easily justify her way of speaking the way she did to Ulquiorra; he's _Ulquiorra_. He's immediately going to make her want to sound more mature and intelligent. Speaking to him will pressure her into bringing her A-game. Just imagine if YOU were forced into a philosophical discussion with him, and somehow got past the stuttering/fangasming. You'd want him to take you seriously, right? So you'd immediately square your shoulders, clear your throat and dig deep into your vocabulary for something that won't make you sound like an ignorant dunce.

That's very much how I see Ulquiorra affecting Orihime...he brings out her inner adult (ehehehe...not as dirty as it sounds..._yet_). That's why I love Ulquihime. Ichigo makes Orihime feel like a useless child and she's pretty much reduced to babbling and blushing and screaming his name whenever he's around. His presence completely stifles her character. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, brings out this fierce, stubborn side. Ironic, considering Ichigo is a sweetheart and Ulquiorra is SUCH a dick. Seriously, the man's a real jerk.

But anyway...jeez, I said I was going to address it 'quick'. Whoops. Don't think I'm getting defensive, I'm totally not! (that would imply that you offended me - which you most certainly didn't). I'm just way too enthusiastic when it comes to character analysis. When I get started, I can't stop. You made some very good points that I will do my best to adhere to anyway - I'm aware that if you need a whole page to justify a writing choice, some shit needs to change. Anyway...let me know when you've read this so I can remove it from the top of the chapter, the poor readers are probably pissed off that I've mislead them regarding chapter length!

To the rest of my reviewers; I will reply to you ASAP! Thank you so much, I was really so freaking happy with the response this has received so far! Constructive criticism is always welcome - it keeps me on my toes and keeps my mind racing. To my other anonymous reviewers - I will put my replies to you on my next chapter (the above reply is already way too long!) because I can't handle not responding to your awesome words of encouragement.

Enjoy :)

**The Dark:**

* * *

Orihime ended up supporting Grimmjow

She wasn't sure how it happened, and was still foggy on how she had pulled it off without him yanking her into a headlock and doing his best to pop her head off like a champagne cork, but before reaching the garganta Grimmjow had stumbled. With agility Orihime usually failed to display, she had ducked under his arm before he could face-plant into the ominous black portal and helped him hobble inside

He was definitely heavy, but Orihime was, to her embarrassment, a fairly sturdy girl. The more amazing thing was that he allowed her to help him without making a fuss or threatening to break her leg off and beat her with it. In fact, the only sign he gave of his displeasure was the terrifying scowl that he had splashed over his face. Thankfully though, it was directed not at her but at the Espada walking along so casually in front of them. She grit her teeth and supported him along the smooth, white hovering path that seemed to materialize beneath Ulquiorra's feet moments before they touched down, the only stable construct in a world of never-ending darkness.

Her only guess was that Grimmjow was _slightly - very _slightly _-_ more practical than he was angry, and he had deigned her assistance the most tolerable of his options. She was grateful that he refrained from yelling at her at least. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to help someone like him, but at least he wasn't making it too difficult for her. Grimmjow still terrified her. He seemed so wild and untameable and _violent_. She would never know now if he really would have strangled her to death without Kurosaki-kun's intervention, but she certainly wouldn't have bet on him sparing her. He'd dragged her around Hueco Mundo in chains and killed two people right in front of her.

And there she was...her one arm around his lower back, the other holding the wrist of the arm he had thrown over her shoulder. He was hot and bulky and entirely too tall and he had possibly almost killed her, but she felt _sorry_ for him. She would never, ever say it out loud - she liked her internal organs where they were, thank you very much - but Grimmjow was frankly just as screwed as she was. He too was a prisoner of the dark haired Espada in front of them, except she had a feeling that while Ulquiorra was relatively gentle with her, Grimmjow would not be given the same courtesy. She didn't even know why she wasn't allowed to heal him. She had felt Ulquiorra's crushing, suffocating reiatsu. He could mop the floor with Grimmjow without even using his second release, possibly without even needing his _first_ release - more thoughts she would never voice out loud for fear of disembowelment...or worse.

Why was she helping this nutjob again?

Maybe Ulquiorra just figured it was easier to let the sexta stay cut up by someone else than heal him, have him go ballistic and then have to cut him up himself. Poor Grimmjow. Yet another victim of Ulquiorra pragmatism.

She was only a human. Her inability to fight Ulquiorra off was perfectly acceptable, even if it did sting her pride to be dragged around like a pet. Grimmjow was probably beating himself up for being too weak to fight, just like Kurosaki-kun would. Grimmjow and Kurosaki-kun seemed oddly similar to her in a weird way. It was completely inconceivable, and if someone had told her she'd be thinking these things about the crazy guy who had put his hand through someone's chest, blown them up and then spent the better part of ten minutes laughing like a lunatic, she wouldn't have believed it for a second.

But the psychotic sexta Espada was an incidental fellow victim and as such, an incidental ally. Even if he did smell like copper.

In contrast to Grimmjow's bedraggled, bloody appearance, Ulquiorra moved along in front of them like an immaculately groomed, silent tour guide. She was always amazed and almost jealous when she watched Ulquiorra walk. His posture was so ridiculously perfect, and yet he made it look natural on him. He moved with a straight spine, shoulders neither stiff nor slumped but perfectly positioned, hands casually in his pockets, footsteps fluid and agile. Like a male model on the catwalk, and she could almost imagine that the darkness around them was filled with approving whistles and judges giving 10-out-of-10 scores. His coat tails swayed behind him, his hair brushing over his neck and shoulders with each step. She couldn't keep her eyes off him, much like the first time he had taken her through the garganta.

That time it hadn't taken her long to realize she really didn't want to stare into the darkness. Strange shapes began to appear and she knew not if their terrifying appearance was due to her imagination or something else. So she had kept her eyes on the moderately less terrifying and infinitely more substantial form of her captor. It was the same now, even though she did feel slightly better with Grimmjow at her side. The weakened Espada wouldn't be much use she knew logically, but his presence helped quell the awful feeling that something was about to touch her neck or grab her ankle from behind.

Back then, she had simply hurried forward and discreetly taken hold of one of Ulquiorra's fluttering coattails, hoping to god that if anything tried to grab her she could hold on long enough for the strange pale man to kill it. He had ignored her presence, even though she was practically breathing down his neck in fear, and hadn't said anything about her hands gripping his clothes like a life line. Back then she had assumed he simply hadn't noticed, but after getting to know Ulquiorra during her captivity she realized how ridiculously unlikely that was. He had allowed it, plain and simple, and she wasn't really sure why.

And she was kind of starting to want to do it again, except she was occupied with supporting Grimmjow. All her thoughts about things attacking them caused goosebumps to rise over her flesh and her body to start trembling. She fixed her gaze firmly on the dark haired Espada, knowing that if she allowed her eyes to wonder she would only scare herself more. This place terrified her. It was unnatural for a human like her to be here, crossing between the land of the living and the land of death so casually. She worried that nature itself would turn on her and swallow her whole for transgressing on territories she had no right to.

Only their footsteps and breathing reached her ears in this silent place, but this only unnerved her more. She needed a distraction.

"Ulquiorra-san?"

It only registered when Ulquiorra abruptly stopped walking and turned to look over his shoulder at her that she had called for him out loud. She stopped her and Grimmjow's progress as well and the blue haired man sagged over her slightly, the loss of momentum making him lose his natural balance. Her knees strained to hold both their weight and she realized how ridiculous she must appear to Ulquiorra's single eye - the human girl with a constipated expression struggling to remain upright under the heavily breathing Espada . Her mind raced furiously for something to say, feeling Grimmjow grow more restless with every second, feeling the growing tension in his muscles and hearing the audible grinding of his teeth so close to her ear. At least his scary mask was on the other side of his jaw.

Ulquiorra's patience seemed to run its course as well as his frown deepened and he broke the silence, asking a rather blunt, "What?"

"Uh..." she felt herself drawing a blank and searched desperately for something to say, somewhat distracted by the limp blue hair that tickled her forehead. "Well...it's just that...I was thinking maybe you could tell me...um..." And then her brain hit the jackpot. "I was wondering how it was you came back to life?"

He stared at her in silence for a long moment, as if assessing her. He probably knew she hadn't planned on asking that at all. But, well, she was curious, and if he decided to tell her it would be better than doing all this creepy walking in silence. And if not -

"What do you mean _'came back to life'_?" Grimmjow suddenly asked, straightening up with effort and staring down at the top of her head with a heavy frown. Orihime blinked up at him.

"You mean you don't know?"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say as the sexta Espada's heavily hooded eyes narrowed down at her dangerously. She realized Grimmjow must have been too weak to sense it when Ulquiorra was defeated. She shrank back, suddenly very aware of his arm around her. If he noticed her reaction he made no effort to respond to it.

"Obviously," he deadpanned before turning his scowl on the cuatro Espada still watching them over his shoulder. "Ulquiorra, what the hell is she talking about? You died?"

Ulquiorra slowly turned to face forward and began walking again, as if he had every intention of ignoring their questions. Orihime gasped and stumbled after him, desperate not to be left behind. Grimmjow growled, literally _growled_, deadly gaze on Ulquiorra's perfectly curved spine, looking like he wanted to rip it out of the cuatro's body and pick his teeth with it. He seemed about to bark something out at the higher ranking Espada, when suddenly Ulquiorra's answered.

"In a manner of speaking," he said calmly, as if he weren't talking about his earlier grisly demise. He stared ahead and continued their journey, though his voice reached them loud and clear. "The boy managed to destroy most of my internal organs. I had no hope of surviving."

"But you didn't die," Grimmjow said and it was clear from his tone that he thought this to be a very unfortunate state of business.

"I believe I did," Ulquiorra stated, "Though it was temporary."

"How the hell is that possible?" Grimmjow growled and Orihime felt his steps speed up, as if he wanted to catch up to the pale Espada.

"I suspect it has to do with how I died," Ulquiorra said into the darkness, "When the boy inflicted the wounds that ultimately killed me he was in a state that I surmise was nearly fully hollow. He was not using the powers of a Shinigami when he defeated me."

Orihime frowned, glancing up at Grimmjow as if he could clear up her confusion. "What does that have to do with it though?"

"When hollow are defeated by Shinigami, their souls are cleansed and sent to the Soul Society by the power of their zanpakutou. I was not killed with a zanpakutou, but with a cero," Ulquiorra elaborated.

Orihime was beginning to see where this was going. "Kurosaki-kun refused to finish the duel..."

"Yes. In the end, I died of my own accord from my injuries. And my soul had nowhere to go. I had not been devoured, as most hollow are when defeated by other hollow, and I had not been cleansed. The quincy did not manage to harm me at all and I was not destroyed. So I returned."

"That's incredible..." Orihime said in awe, "Something as simple as how you died affected everything."

"There is a chance that had I been killed with the boys zanpakutou, I would have immediately begun a new life cycle as a human, given how the hougyoku has blurred the line between hollow and Shinigami. I may have bypassed Soul Society altogether. The boy's stubbornness proved rather fortunate."

Orihime reflected on this in silence for a moment before asking in a soft tone that still carried through the air clearly. "You told Kurosaki-kun that if he didn't kill you your battle would never be over. Did...did you know you would come back?"

"I did not."

And that was it. Silence resumed, leaving Orihime to mull over their discussion. Even Grimmjow had grown quietly contemplative, no longer glaring at Ulquiorra's back but rather staring thoughtfully at nowhere in particular.

Orihime was shocked to find that after no small amount of thought, and even after fully considering the possible consequences, she wasn't really sure if she wished he had stayed dead.

* * *

Uryuu wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to handle his current predicament. He had grown up in an emotionally stunted environment after the loss of his grandfather. He had never learned how to deal with this sort of thing, particularly not from someone like _her_. He had rarely interacted with her, but he knew her well enough to tentatively label her a friend. This particular classmate he had _never_ seen cry.

"Arisawa-san..." he trailed off, feeling woefully inadequate. He was _not_ the person to deal with this sort of thing. He didn't _do _public displays of emotion.

Tatsuki hadn't taken his news about Orihime's disappearance too well. He had called her over to Urahara's shop, along with Sado, figuring that they were the two who most deserved to be brought up to speed, even if it was the middle of the night. They had shown up out of breath, each having obviously dressed and run over hastily.

Sado had reacted predictably - listening silently and then calmly exiting the shop to 'get some fresh air'. But Tatsuki...she had backed up into the register counter, visibly trembling, before her eyes had filled with tears. Uryuu had barely had time to put his hands out - to do what he had no idea - before she slid to the ground and hid her face in her hands, shoulders shaking in silent sobs. The usually strong, composed young woman was having a breakdown in front of him and he had no idea how to respond.

He looked around the shop desperately, wishing someone - _anyone_, even those annoying brats of Urahara's - to intervene. It was dark, the only light shining from the moon outside and through the closed shoji screen doors behind which the other inhabitants of the shop were going about their business.

God, he _hated_ seeing girls cry - particularly a usually strong girl like Tatsuki. What was he supposed to do? Leave her alone to have her moment in private? But that might come off as overly cold or callous. Should he comfort her? What if she grew upset with his presence? He certainly wouldn't want someone to stick around while he was in such a state, but he had observed that women were different in this regard. Then again, Tatsuki had always possessed more male practicality than most...Oh, he had no idea.

Hesitantly lowering onto his haunches while wishing silently to be somewhere, _anywhere_ else, he placed a hand over the crying young woman's knee. Her leg jerked, and two startled brown eyes peeked at him from over her fingers, watching him sorrowfully.

"Arisawa-san...Please, don't be upset." He couldn't help but think he sounded completely awkward as he said it. Again, he was _not_ the right person for this. "Inoue-san will be fine. We'll find her."

Pointless, robotic sentiments with no real value. With his keen mind...was that really the best he could do?

"I thought..." Her voice came out weak and hoarse. She swallowed, inhaling deeply. "I thought I felt her this morning."

Uryuu's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"For the first time since that day, I was _sure_ I felt Orihime's presence. It felt like she was so close...I thought she had come back with you guys. I didn't think anything was wrong but then...a few hours later...she disappeared again." She laughed a twisted, sad laugh, "She was here, in this world, _today_. And I didn't do anything about it and now she's gone."

Uryuu's blue eyes pierced her thoughtfully, mulling over this information. Tatsuki kept her eyes averted, hastily wiping away her tears even as they fell, clearly ashamed. "You're really so attuned to Inoue-san's whereabouts?"

She nodded, gave a dull shrug. "Yeah. I can usually always tell if she's out there somewhere. But for these last few weeks, and again now, nothing..."

Uryuu smiled triumphantly. "Arisawa-san, I know you felt like you couldn't do anything to help us in the war, but I believe you're going to be invaluable in searching for Inoue-san."

Tatsuki finally brought herself to meet his eyes, surprising him with the contrast of strength and sorrow. "What use could I be? I can't sense her at all now."

He gave her knee a firm, reassuring squeeze, eyes flashing. "Which tells us _exactly_ where she is."

* * *

While the two humans quietly conversed, deeper within Urahara Shoten the scientist himself stood in a dark room lit only with blinking lights and the fluorescent glow of several monitors. On one such monitor he observed the goings-on in his home. Ururu and Jinta safely in bed, Tessai attending to the unconscious Ichigo, Sado outside, coping in his own way. He watched the crying Tatsuki with blank, seemingly indifferent eyes. Only one housemate eluded his omniscience, a shadow that even now approached him with nary a sound.

"Kisuke..."

"Yoruichi-san." He replied calmly. He had known she was coming of course. She was the only one who could strategically avoid his cameras.

She watched him from beside a ceiling-high glass tank. She had long ago stopped noticing the strange specimens and equipment in his private lab. Now she could only see him, his blond head for once fully visible, his hat on the hook by the door. In the dark of the lab he almost looked as he had all those years ago, before their world's had changed forever.

She had long known that the energy he displayed on a daily basis was, for the most part, an act. There was no curiosity in his eyes now, none of that quietly emphatic need to understand and dissect. Only weariness and regret. The same expression she often caught him with, ever since _that_ day.

"How long do you intend to wallow in this guilt of yours?" she asked, moving gracefully through the lab, coming to lean her back against the sturdy equipment in front of him, giving her a clear view of his face, highlighted by shadow.

"Me? Guilty?" he said with false incredulity, pointing a questioning finger at his own suddenly grinning face, "Yoruichi-san, _I'm _not the one who let her get taken again." There was an acidic tinge of bitterness to his otherwise jovial tone.

She crossed her arms under her breasts, giving him a stern look. "Don't bullshit me."

"I'm _not_," he said firmly, mouth falling into a frown, "That human is not my responsibility. Her life is and was trivial in the grand scheme of things. I made a miscalculation regarding her, yes. I had more important things to deal with at the time."

He only did this with her. When he _knew_ beforehand that his usual tactic of making some offhand, witty comment wouldn't work he pulled out a mask of a different nature. He summoned the dispassionate, cruel side of himself he kept hidden from the world and he wore it like a shield, hoping to deter her prying. But Yoruichi had known this man since they were children, knew that his compassion would always battle with his cold, practical, scientific mind.

And she knew how it affected him when his compassion lost and he later came to regret it.

"Hiding behind the truth is still hiding," she told him with an arched brow, "You know you're not that heartless."

She knew she had affected him when his adam's apple bobbed and his throat seemed to tighten. It was a tick she had long ago noticed, but she'd be damned if she ever let him know about it. It was one of the few things that let her read him so successfully. He passed off his discomfort quickly though and tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Hmmm. Aren't I?"

"No. You're not."

He waved a hand at her, the other covering his mouth as he turned away in mock embarrassment. "You flatter me!"

She tilted her head, lips quirking into a smile. "Why would I do that? Your head's big enough as it is."

He chuckled and there was silence. She would no longer pursue their previous line of conversation. He was smart enough to anticipate what she would say, and she had already made her point. It would be up to him to move on from his guilt in his own time. Urahara Kisuke was one horse you could _not_ force to drink.

And Yoruichi had no desire to try. So instead she moved on, sighing and rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. She had never thought the day would come where _she_ of all people would wish for things to be peaceful. "What will you do if Orihime's actually a traitor?"

Urahara shrugged and smiled secretively, "Why, the same thing I always do with traitors."

She smirked, "Good. And if she's not alone?"

Grey eyes narrowed, alight with mischief."I'm an _expert_ at getting women alone, my dear Yoruichi-san."

She smiled coyly. "Is that so?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere had shifted. Yoruichi took a bold step forward and twined her arms around the taller man's neck. To his credit, he neither blinked nor flinched away from her as she brought her face up to his, their noses brushing. His eyes twinkled down at her expectantly and his hands came to rest above her hips, large and yet unimposing. This was no blushing virgin boy she was dealing with, but a dangerous, experienced man. The only man she had never considered weak. Her lips hovered above his, not quite touching. They stood like that for a moment, silent, breathless. The anticipation was so much more exciting than the act - a motto she had followed her whole life. A man couldn't disappoint you if you never let him have you. But he...

He had never disappointed her, had he?

"Kisuke...I think I'm getting old," she whispered against his lips, her body relaxing against him, as if the fight had left her. And it was _ever _so comfortable to surrender.

"Oh? I must have missed that." He chuckled as her amber eyes narrowed at him, her grip around his shoulders tightening. "Why?"

She sighed, closing her eyes and brushing against his nose tenderly, "Because for the first time, I'm getting tired of screwing around. One hundred years is more than enough for foreplay, don't you think?"

"Is that what we've been doing?" He laughed lowly, fingers digging ever so slightly into her firm flesh, "I suppose I agree. But are you sure I'm the man you want? You know me better than anyone, so I won't begrudge you if you say no now."

"As if I would have stuck around all this time only to say no now. Idiot."

His eyes were solemn and gentle, "Only when it comes to you."

"I've noticed."

And as his mischievous hands slid down to her bottom and hoisted her against him, she closed the miniscule gap between their lips.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I _will_ be playing 'pair the spares'. I'm a girl, I like romance. Sue me. Besides, Ulquihime is such a freaking slow pace, intense pairing to write that if I had balls they would be the deepest of blue. So Urahara and Yoruichi got some action instead. A lot of people seem to think they're just friends but I'm sorry...two people that attractive do NOT stay BFF's for over a century without _something_ going down. And Yoruichi strikes me as the kind of lady who is just _'too much woman_' for most men. I imagine throughout her life she's had a HOST of disappointing sexual partners who just couldn't keep up with her. And there's Urahara - that sexy bad ass blend of naughty and nice. Ehehehe. Too much fun :D

Oh yeah, and now we know why Ulquiorra's back ~trumpets and confetti~ yay! I hope my pseudo-scientific explanation satisfied you all. It was the first thing that I thought when Ulquiorra died. Where will his soul go? Is he going to come back in Soul Society? But wait...how would he if he wasn't killed with a zanpakutou? Oh no, Ulquiorra - you're gone forever!

And then I thought _'fuck that shit'_ and wrote this. I know that by waiting three chapters to reveal how he survived, I may have mistakenly given the impression that there would be some awesome reason. But meh...Ulquiorra wasn't in a chatty mood in chapter one. If his explanation seems implausible... SUSPEND YOUR DISBELIEF! It should be worth it :)


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